A spark plug for an internal combustion engine, such as automotive engine, includes, for example, a center electrode extending in an axial direction; an insulator provided radially outward of the center electrode; a tubular metallic shell provided radially outward of the insulator; and a ground electrode whose proximal end portion is joined to a front end portion of the metallic shell. The ground electrode is bent such that its distal end portion faces a distal end portion of the center electrode, whereby a spark discharge gap is formed between the distal end portion of the center electrode and the distal end portion of the ground electrode. In recent years, some spark plugs are designed in such a manner that chips, which are excellent in durability (spark ablation resistance), are provided at the distal end portion of the center electrode and the distal end portion of the ground electrode. An example of such a chip is a chip formed of a noble metal alloy (noble metal chip). Notably, in the case where the above-mentioned chip is joined to the distal end portions of the two electrodes, a spark discharge gap is formed between the two chips.
Incidentally, in addition to the position where the spark discharge gap is formed, the direction in which a spark is discharged can be changed by changing the relative position of the noble metal chip provided on the ground electrode (ground-electrode-side noble metal chip) in relation to the noble metal chip provided on the center electrode (center-electrode-side noble metal chip). Conventionally, a so-called longitudinal-discharge-type plug is known. In this plug, in order to improve ignitability, the ground electrode is bent such that the distal end surface of the ground-electrode-side noble metal chip faces the distal end surface of the center-electrode-side noble metal chip, and spark discharge occurs approximately along the axial direction. For example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 2005-93220. However, a plug of such a type is disposed in such a manner that its ground electrode projects toward the center of a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine. Therefore, when the internal combustion engine is operated, the ground electrode and the ground-electrode-side noble metal chip are disposed in an atmosphere of higher temperature, whereby the durability of the plug may lower.
In order to overcome the above-described drawback, a so-called lateral-discharge-type plug has been proposed. For example, see Japanese Patent No. 3273215. In this plug, in order to reduce the projection amount of the ground electrode, the ground electrode is bent in such a manner that the distal end surface of the ground-electrode-side noble metal chip faces a side surface portion of the center-electrode-side noble metal chip, and spark discharge occurs along a direction approximately perpendicular to the axis. In general, the clearance between the insulator and the ground electrode must be rendered relatively large in order to prevent discharge between the insulator and the ground electrode which discharge would otherwise occur, for example, when electrically conductive carbon adheres thereto. In the lateral-discharge-type plug, in order to secure the clearance, in general, the ground electrode is bent at an approximately right angle with a relatively small radius of curvature. Therefore, stress attributable to, for example, vibration generated as a result of operation of the internal combustion engine is likely to be concentrated on the bent portion of the ground electrode, which may result in breakage of the bent portion. In particular, in recent high output engines, spark plugs are more likely to suffer breakage of the ground electrode at the bent portion.
In view of the above-described problem, a so-called skew-discharge-type plug has been proposed. See, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 2002-324650. In this plug, the ground electrode is bent at a relatively obtuse angle in such a manner that an edge portion of the distal end of the ground-electrode-side noble metal chip is opposed to the distal end surface of the center-electrode-side noble metal chip, and spark discharge occurs along a skewed direction in relation to the axial direction.
However, in such a plug, spark discharge intensively abrades the edge portion of the distal end of the ground-electrode-side noble metal chip, so that the size of the spark discharge gap increases rapidly. Once the size of the spark discharge gap has increased, anomalous spark discharge becomes likely to occur between the ground electrode and the insulator or the like, which may bring about malfunctions such as deterioration in ignitability.
The present invention has been accomplished in view of the above-described problems. It is an object of the present invention to provide a spark plug for an internal combustion engine which can more reliably prevent occurrence of malfunctions, such as deterioration in ignitability, and which has excellent durability and resistance to breakage, as well as a method of manufacturing the same.